Still, even when anti-money laundering rules are in place, it’s extremely important that financial regulators be fully funded and provided the resources they need to ensure banks comply with the law. Citibank, HSBC, and Wachovia have all been in the news recently for allegedly failing to comply with U.S. anti-money laundering regulations. Further, a recent study conducted by the U.K. government found that three quarters of British banks were not adequately complying with anti-money laundering rules. There is no reason to believe the situation is any different at American banks.

Global Financial Integrity Director Raymond Baker and Former Vice President of Guatemala Dr. Rafael Espada co-authored the Op-Ed, „It’s Time to Seriously Tackle the Money Behind the Drug Cartels.“

They argue that curtailing the drug trade is impossible while banks and regulators are not enforcing important anti-money laundering laws. While 40% of physical drugs are interdicted before they are sold, just .5% of drug money is detected by law enforcement.

The “international order,” is dictated by the corporate-financier interests of the Anglo-American establishment. To serve these interests, the US is openly encouraging confrontation with China throughout Asia.

The American secret state turns a blind eye when financial institutions become major centers of money laundering for organized crime with trillions of dollars of illicit funds parked in offshore accounts.

In an era characterized by economic collapse owing to gross criminality by leading financial actors, policy decisions and the legal environment have been shaped by oligarchs who quite literally have “captured” the state.